Smooth

 Thursday, September 3

 

The plan to do our north coast birding day was aborted when we rose to heavy rain. In the past, we have gone regardless, but not to-day. 

Lifting the rain sodden moth trap to bring indoors, Pam saw a tiny newt sheltering underneath. She potted it, where it curled up into a snail shape. It soon uncurled, a mere 3cms long. Probably a Smooth Newt as that is the only species we have ever found in our pond. Probably a product of the pair we saw mating, and then egg-laying, in the spring.

 

Another unwanted plenitude of Large Yellow Underwings in the traps, 43 out of a total 90 moths. Scarce Bordered Straw and a NFY Centre-barred Sallow the pick of the rest. 

We've been collecting  a large caddis fly species from the egg boxes for the last couple of weeks.This morning's  looked like a mini Hydra,  brown and two-headed. A copulating pair?

 

It's not possible for a lay person to identify individual species, as detailed below by the natural History Association.

''There are almost 200 species of caddisfly (order Trichoptera, also known as 'sedge flies') in the UK, the largest of which is more than 3cm long. Adults are moth-like insects with hairy wings. The most common caddisflies, particularly in garden ponds, are the Cinnamon Sedges - a group of around 30 species.

Caddisfly larvae live underwater, where they make cases by spinning together stones, sand, leaves and twigs with a silk they secrete from glands around the mouth. Most larvae live in these shelters, which can either be fixed or transportable, though a few species are free-swimming and only construct shelters when they’re ready to pupate.

Adults are often attracted to moth traps, or can be found during the day on vegetation near to the water's edge, or flying in swarms over the water. Caddisflies are an important food source for all kinds of predators, including Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout, and birds such as the Dipper''.

As we had to go to Walcott Post Office - all my Australian based family have birthdays at the end of September and mid November and it's considerably cheaper to post all the cards in one package - we came back the pretty way, via Potter Heigham Marshes. Very few birds apart from a big flock of Canada and Greylag Geese, two Egyptian Geese, one Grey Heron, one Kestrel, Teal, Mallard, Shoveller and gulls.

An algae encrusted notice board, states future plans for the area.

 

We now have a much better idea of the area's lay-out, after conversing with Judy and Giles yesterday.

Would you believe it. For the first time ever, our sole Hazel tree has produced some nuts this year. I was not very successful with photography, as the branches were waving about - and a Hollyhock has been planted in front of the tree.

 

 

Young Bird Time

Tuesday, September 1 

We didn't start opening the three moth traps at Natural Surroundings until 9.30. We were finished by 10. Cold days and moonlit nights combined with early Autumn meant a paucity of both number and species. The pick were three Pale Eggars, plus one dead in the bottom of the trap.

Some of us decided to go birding. Unusually, I felt pretty low this morning, a combination of lack of sleep and frustration at my physical inability to just walk for birds. Mostly the latter. I suggested that we did some local searching via Glandford and then Cley Coastguards, where the car park was nearly full. As we pulled in to a place where we could see the sea, David the dog - one of the many Davids distinguished by the fact that he is never without his companion black Labrador named Ben. All his dogs have been called Ben. Yesterday, he'd been sea watching and was dogless, I didn't like to ask the obvious. Pam has just told me that his dog died. David told us that was very little on the sea but two Hobby had been seen at Iron Road.

Room for one car to park at Snipe's Marsh, we swooped in. Pam went first and came back to say that my target bird was there. A Common Sandpiper. I could hardly see it, raising my binoculars to my eyes made me very unsteady on my blasted knees. Nothing to lean against either, and I needed a third hand to balance on my stick. I returned to the car, Pam saw a Greenshank and an egret.

From Iron Road, a large gathering of Canada Geese, with some Greylags, near Babcock hide, a few Swallows whizzing about, Shelduck and Oystercatcher on the far pool, and an immature Marsh Harrier.

The ice-cream van - it's our favourite vanilla as it tastes like the cold stuff of our childhood. Pam's was Rossi's in Southend and mine the Temp in Ystradgynlais, was parked at Salthouse duckpond. The first time this year for us, it has always been a favourite stop. I have a medium cone and Pam has a 99. We stopped to eat it, giving me the time to look at the young birds frequenting the pond and area.Young Mallard are slim, svelte little birds.

 

Juvenile Moorhens are..... dingy, good camouflage.

 

Cygnets are certainly not ugly ducklings, they always look serene and graceful.

This Black-headed Gull was expecting a hand-out, it didn't get one.

As I had my camera handy, I took a few shots of a distant wader flock. All but one were Curlew, the odd one a Ruff. More, 'identified from photograph when I got home',. birds.

 

Salthouse road was negotiated with care, until we could turn around and make our way home. Overnighting campavans, many cars and cavorting dogs. Ugh.

Returning from picking sweetcorn for tea yesterday, camera in hand, Pam saw a bird perched on our wall, eating an over-ripe, fallen fig. . It did not return for me.

Juvenile Lesser Whitethroat, a garden tick.

 

Another Beauty

 Saturday, August 29

The moth traps were species poor this morning, after yet more overnight heavy rain and a strong northerly wind. Over a hundred moths, most of them Large Yellow Underwings (Blunders) and Setaceous Hebrew Character (SHC). The weather must have kept the bats away - we have a bat nursery in the roof space - I'm sure that they feed very well on the big bodied Blunders, which are the plankton for both birds and bats. We have a front garden Robin which arrives when Pam is emptying the eggboxes. She has to be both vigilant and enterprising in her choice of freedom zone.

Whilst checking the areas around the traps, Pam found a small and rather worn moth, which she potted and brought in for me to see and to identify. I recognised immediately that it was a macro, as small as many micros, the first of which we saw at Dungeness Observatory in 2018. Andy W. brought one in to Natural Surroundings a couple of weeks ago. It was a Norfolk tick for us and now, a garden tick, a Beautiful Marbled Eublemma purpurina

Norfolk status Very rare immigrant. First recorded in Dorset 2001, only identified from a set specimen during an influx of this previously unrecorded species in 2004. Occurring in mainland Europe, the larvae feed on Creeping Thistle, no evidence of breeding in the UK. New for Norfolk in August 2016, trapped at Filby (D. Hipperson, 25/08/16) Five recorded in 2018 - Eccles-on-Sea (N. Bowman, 27/07/18) New for VC28 at Holme Dunes (G. Hibberd, 13/10/18) and two at Heampstead-by-Holt (A. Wallis, 13/10/18, 15/10/18) Lyng (R.Holt, 20/10/18)
Norfolk Moths website
That's the fourth really good moth this year, how lucky are we?

A strong north westerly wind at the end of August? No-brainer. Sea-watching time.But where to go? So many people about, and it's a bank holiday weekend.  We tried Walcott first. A flooded field between the Seal Sanctuary and Walcott held a large number of seabirds, loafing and preening. No traffic at the time on this single track lane, so we were able to stop and view. A Lesser Black-backed Gull stood in front of a Great Black-backed Gull caught the eye first. It was a good opportunity to compare the two birds.

Beyond the irrigation pipe - not needed to-day - a group of about twenty Sandwich Terns, amongst the Black-headed Gulls, huddled down on the mud, displaying various stages of moult before their long journey south to Africa. A Norfolk ringed Sandwich Tern has previously made its way to Australia. Amazing.

This year's young on the far right in the first photo..

We found room to park along the sea front at Walcott, the weather must have kept the tourists away. The rain eased, I opened the window to scope the distant horizon, seeing a smattering of terns battling north west against the wind. A dark silhouette shot up from the sea, pestering the terns, jinking and diving aggressively on its target bird. A Bonxie, (Great Skua), my first of the year. The sighting coincided with Pam noticing that we were being sand blasted. We could see it being blown along the road - and all over us and the front of the car - inside! I hastily closed the window, checked my optics  - and regretted the decision to open the window.

A further scope scan through a wet and sandy closed window was not a triumph of hope over actuality. Time to move on to Winterton. 

We needn't have bothered, we saw two terns making a painfully slow progress west, and nothing else.

Nutty Surprise

Friday August 28 

 

The final instalment of my imaginative birthday present arrived on Wednesday. Kent Cobs. The hazelnuts on the trees I knew well as a youngster, were smaller and rounder. The trees' position were a well guarded secret for my friends and I, there was always a competition as to who could find the biggest cluster. My present contained one with six cobs attached to one small stem. I remember that our record was seven. Large clusters often held one undeveloped or black shelled nut, this clump was perfect.

 

The moth-ing at Natural Surroundings on Tuesday was, unsurprisingly, disappointing. Overnight heavy rain, which continued all morning, presaged the arrival of the latest storm, Francis. We were lucky compared with the west of the country, which bore the brunt of the extreme weather. Masked and waterproof clad, we huddled in the dark chalet, social distancing all that was possible, whilst three traps were opened, all containing moths. A fun time was had trying to catch the escaping moths, as the chalet is crowded with furniture, shelves of various pieces of bric a brac, and cages of active Harvest Mice. 

One of the moths was another tiny macro, Pinion-streaked Snout. I remarked that I still wasn't sure that I would recognise one in our own traps. It's as small as many micros.Then I did, the following morning. A first - identified - for our garden.

 Earlier in the week, another moth trap surprise at home, was this male Brown Hawker. Pam had caught one, frantically buzzing around the utility room, the previous evening, releasing it outside. It's a lovely male, a big dragonfly, over 7 cms in size.

Yesterday, we drove to Buckenham Marshes. After a busy week, it was lovely to get out and look for birds. We chose Buckenham as the best chance of avoiding the Bank Holiday crowds frequenting the coast and all areas of interest. It's been like a bank holiday in North Norfolk for weeks. The only birds we saw as we drove down to the Fishermen's car park were Lapwings, Greylag and Mute Swan. I scanned the marsh from several spots as we negotiated the track.

Still eager to see my first proper Garganey of the year - Pensthorpe doesn't count - all dykes were also scanned, without a sighting of any bird at all. Only four vehicles in the car park and we saw a mere five people the whole of the time we were there.

Hardly any water in the usual large area in front of the hide. Scoping through the hundred or so Greylag Geese on the sedge-tussocked boggy area, I found a few eclipse Mallard but nothing else. 

Moving on to the first dyke on the left on the way back, a group of ducks swam out from an out of view dyke feeding in from the far left, splashing and chasing, rapidly swimming back from whence they came. Patiently scanning this active, ever-changing crew of mainly Mallard, I saw one Shoveller, three juvenile Garganey and a single adult. The adult was well marked but only stayed for a few seconds. Hopefully, snapping a dozen or so photos when I thought that there might be a garganey in view, I ended up with one discerniible shot. I could only identify the birds through my scope, so had to quickly change from that to my camera to view where a bird had been. It's the central bird at the back.

Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Buzzard and Grey Heron were the only other birds seen buit it was an enjoyable visit.

Two young Muntjac were grazing at the Strumpshaw side of the reserve, then their mother appeared - socially distanced until they ran towards her.

Not much colour in my alpine troughs at the moment. This very tall  Anomatheka laxa, borne on tall slender stems, has a delicate nodding beauty and is also a lovely colour.

It's classed as a flowering grass, originating in South Africa.

 

 

Twice in a Blue Moon

 Friday, August 21

 

We were late getting to the moth traps this morning, as is usual on a Friday. Adrian is here to help with the garden and, as he is inexperienced, Pam works with him. Recent traps have been full of non moth items. Ants, Wasps, Hornets, Beetles and so many Red-legged Shieldbugs. Most of the latter are adults with a few green instars.

 

The bugs have very sticky legs, they hold on firmly to the egg boxes, my fingers, my trousers and the floor. They also walk all over the moths, causing immense disturbance. 20 immigrant Silver Ys also bomb about, blundering into everything. So, a general scene of disruption and frustration at the moths lost unidentified. One of them could have been really good.

At the bottom of the Robinson Actinic, something large made a brief appearance from under an ant and beetle filled eggbox. The large pot I used to successfully catch it  wasn't big enough, nor did I have a lid to hand. I covered the pot with my hand whilst Pam departed to find a large container. Blue Underwings showed through my fingers. Waw, a Clifden Nonpareil, we had a garden one last year too, and another in Kent. How lucky is that.

 

 Norfolk status
Rare immigrant.
This is the Victorian collector's classic all-time favourite, often named the 'Blue Underwing'.

Modern-day Norfolk records are of assumed migrants, recorded mainly along the coast usually in late August - September. In 1976 an astonishing seven specimens were recorded in Norfolk.

In 2019, ten confirmed and one unconfirmed were recorded, the most ever on record in a single year.

Everything else paled into insignificance. Even the Lesser Stag Beetle.

 

We still need to identify these two cricket species found indoors last night. Not the best of photographs, taken in a pot again.

 

We did do some birding yesterday. Breaking the journey at Selbrigg, we sat in isolation and shade, enjoying the comings and goings of Marsh, Coal, Blue, and Great Tits, Dunnock and Grey Squirrel. 

On to Wells North Point. We parked in our usual spot so that I could scope the east pool, the sun burning down. Remarkably little heat haze considering the temperature - 27C. Two sleeping Spoonbills, two Little Egrets, half a dozen Ruff, 100+ Black-tailed Godwits, the inevitable motley Greylag crew and, probably 300+ Barnacle Geese. The Holkham House flock most probably, increasing every year.

Holkham reserve had 28 pairs of breeding Spoonbills this year - same as 2018 and 2019 - but - they produced a record 56 fledged young. Cattle Egrets also bred again. fior the second year that I know of.

Driving down to the car park, I scoped the west pool, seeing not a lot. As we started on lunch, a red car drew up parallel to us. I looked across, it was Sue and Ian. They'd been picking Victoria plums at Drove Orchards and were about to try again to see the Garganey here. Everything is moulting, the ducks into eclipse plumage, preening geese and waders producing enough feathers and down on the ground for it to look like a smattering of snow.

Whilst finishing our lunch we had a long overdue catch-up chat, enjoying a gift plum each, before driving home. It was good to be out.

 

 

His Crimson Majesty

Tuesday, August 18 

We have learnt that Robinson traps are good even if it rains. So, they go out regularly, both the MV and the Actinic. The only part which gets wet is the central area at the bottom where there is a wire grid. Unless the rain is blown hard sideways that us, when a few egg boxes get damp at the edges.  Both traps have a rain guard over the light source. So, thunderstorms predicted, they went out on Sunday night.

Both traps were full of moths, 94 of them Setaceous Hebrew Character. An attractive moth, but one gets tired of them after a while. Now known as a made up word version of SHC to us, the C changed to a T.

As soon as I took the lid off the actinic, I beamed. A very large and beautiful moth was sat in open view in a central egg box. Whilst catching it in a large, square pot, it flashed its bright, dark red underwings. A Dark Crimson Underwing.

Norfolk status
Rare migrant.
Resident only in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Unconfirmed old Norfolk records from Foxley Wood 1967 and two questionable BRC record card entries!

First modern-day confirmed Norfolk record at Toftwood in 2018 (D. Norgate, 26/07/18) Found on shed by the 20W Actnic trap left in garden overnight.

Red Data Book category RDB3. It occurs as a breeding species only in the New Forest, Hampshire.

BAP Priority Species

We were due at Natural Surroundings at  9.30 this morning, armed with the moth for everyone to see,. Not new, as most of us saw the moth brought in by the Claydons two weeks ago. This one was in better condition, despite the worn head and slight wing damage.It was new for Janice and for Simon and Anne Harrap, and for Peter and Pauline who arrived at the car park to see it. The Ps are members of our Silvery Gem WhatsApp group, but do not come to NS meets.

So..... despite the ice blocks, the denizens  of both moth trap were rather lively when we opened them at mid-day  The best moth this morning was a a Scarce Bordered Straw NFY and NFG. We have seen two before, the most recent in Kent last year.

Not a good photo, I took a quick shot in the egg box and it flew whilst Pam was trying to do so. . 

 

Home and Cool

 Moth Quiz 40

It stands out on a Little Red Rooster's head 

Coxcomb Prominent 

 

Saturday, August 15

The second instalment of my fruity birthday present arrived yesterday, two kilos of Greengages.

 

 Apparently, I have 'green' hazelnuts to come.

To-day is very much cooler, although we have only had a minimal amount of the promised rain.  Many of the vegetables and flower borders are suffering after the week long hot temperatures, without watering, whilst we were in Yorkshire. Pam's busy cutting down and removing dead plants, and I started pruning the plum trees - long overdue - but only managed a little. Wielding a pruning saw and the heavy loppers does not come easily these days. We have the best crop of fruit for some years. A warm spring meant that the blossom flourished. I also did some much needed Alpine trough sorting, more needed.

I long for  a Bedstraw or Striped Hawkmoth in the trap - Suffolk seems to be having a good migrant trap at the moment. We've had many Whitepoints and Silver Y, but nothing really exciting in the migrant line.

Our first 2020 Tawny-barred Angle this morning. A species of coniferous woodland and gardens - there are no conifers anywhere near.

With help from moth-ing friends, meeting at Natural Surroundings, we also identified a Maple Pug. This photo is Richard E's - much better than mine, which was taken in a dirty pot.

 

We had Wormwood and 

 Brindled Pug this morning, both identified using the app. 'Seek' downloaded from the app store.

 

A Rove Beetle did exactly that, disturbing everything.

 

We made a short recce to Potter Heigham Marshes this morning. We knew that a driveable track existed, saving the long walk from Latham's car park in Potter Heigham. We only viewed a small part of the reserve, seeing a single Spoonbill and a load of Canada Geese. Further investigation next time.